Vice President Kamala D. Harris is an icon, a legend, and an Incredible Person! Vice President Kamala Harris has inspired me every day. She is the first Woman, First African American, and First South Asian to become Vice President. After a lifetime of public service, having been elected District Attorney of San Francisco, California Attorney General, and the United States Senator.
Birth and Parent
Vice President Harris was born in Oakland, California, to parents who emigrated from India and Jamaica. She graduated from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
Name Meaning
Vice President Kamala Harris’s name means “lotus” and is another name for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi—and women’s empowerment. Her mother chose Kamala’s name as a nod to her Indian roots.
Personal Likings: She loves to cook
Vice President Kamala Harris is an enthusiastic cook. “As a child, I remember hearing the pots and smelling the food, and kind of like someone in a trance, I would walk into the kitchen to see all this incredible stuff happening,” Vice President Kamala Harris recalled in a May 2020 Glamour interview. “My mother used to tell me, ‘Kamala, you like to eat good food. You better learn how to cook.'”
She’s an avid reader.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s favorite books are Native Son by Richard Wright, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
The first woman to serve as Acting President
For 85 minutes, Kamala Harris became the first woman with presidential power. Vice President Kamala Harris became the first woman and the third person overall to assume the powers and duties of the U.S. presidency under Section 3 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment. On November 19, 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris served as acting president from 10:10 to 11:35 am EST while President Biden underwent surgery.
Firsts in Several categories
Vice President Kamala Harris has claimed and accomplished several first roles, like
- First woman District Attorney in San Francisco’s history
- First African American woman and South Asian American woman in California to hold the office
- First African American and the first woman to serve as California’s Attorney General
- First Woman, First African American, First South Asian Vice President
- The first woman to serve as U.S. President
Motto
Vice President Kamala Harris’s motto comes from her mom: “You may be the first, but make sure you’re not the last.”
Accomplishments as Public Service
Vice President Kamala Harris is a former prosecutor, district attorney, state attorney general, and U.S. senator. As a District Attorney of San Francisco, Vice President Harris created a ground-breaking program to provide first-time drug offenders with the opportunity to earn a high school degree and find employment. The program was designated as a national innovation model for law enforcement by the United States Department of Justice.
Accomplishments California’s A.G.
Vice President Harris was elected California’s Attorney General in 2010 as California’s Attorney general Vice President Kamala Harris oversaw the largest state justice department in the United States. She established the state’s first Bureau of Children’s Justice and instituted several first-of-their-kind reforms that ensured greater transparency and accountability in the criminal justice system.
Accomplishments as an Attorney General
As Attorney General, Vice President Harris won a $20 billion settlement for Californians whose homes had been foreclosed on and a $1.1 billion settlement for students and veterans who were taken advantage of by a for-profit education company. She defended the Affordable Care Act in court, enforced environmental law, and was a national leader in the movement for marriage equality.
Accomplishments As a Senator
As Senator, Vice President Harris championed legislation to reform cash bail, combat hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, and address the climate crisis as a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works member. Her bipartisan anti-lynching bill passed the Senate in 2018. Her legislation to preserve Historically Black Colleges and Universities was signed into law, as was her effort to infuse much-needed capital into low-income communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3rd Most Powerful Woman
On December 8, 2020, Forbes released its list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women“, featuring influential leaders from 30 countries in politics, entertainment, business, and more. Vice President Kamala Harris has become the third most powerful woman globally.
Time Person of the Year 2020
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were jointly named Time Person of the Year for 2020
Honorary Degrees
Vice President Kamala Harris has received honorary degrees: A Doctor of Law (LL.D) from the University of Southern California and a Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) from Howard University.
First International Trip
Vice President Kamal Harris’s first international trip as a Vice President was in June 2021, visiting Guatemala and Mexico.
International Relationship: U.S.-German
Vice President Kamala Harris greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday, July 15, 2021, at the Vice President’s Residence in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
International Relationship: U.S.-France
Vice President Kamala Harris met with French President Emmanuel Macron in November 2021 to strengthen ties after canceling a submarine program.
Author
Vice President Kamala Harris has written two non-fiction books and one children’s book.
- Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor’s Plan to Make Us Safer. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-6528-9.
- Superheroes Are Everywhere. London: Penguin Young Readers Group. ISBN 978-1-984837-49-3.
- The Truths We Hold: An American Journey. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-1-984886-22-4.
Finally, Vice President Kamal Harris’s cutest photo that I really like
Photo Source: prabook site
Vice President Kamala Harris motivates me to strive harder, and she inspires everyone to make a difference. She is someone I look up to. Her speeches, thoughts, and actions are encouraging and enlightening. She is knowledgeable but full of wisdom, compassion, empathy, always giving back, and much more. As always, I will finish this post by saying to look up to your icon and mentor and stay inspired daily to make a positive difference.
Source/cites:
- Wikipedia
- whitehouse.gov
- time.com
- cnn.com
- history.com